For over a century, people have been designing trunks and cases to hold different items in an organized manner for travel, display and other purposes. As one example of many, U.S. Pat. No. 885,979, relates to packing cases for hats comprising a cabinet having the outward finish and general appearance of a trunk and having ways therein and shelves slidable in the ways and adjustable to different distances apart so as to accommodate hats of different dimensions, and means for firmly securing a hat to each of the shelves. Although designs such as these have a hinged door, it is simply a door for closing, including no further provision for carrying any other type of article.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,612 resides in a carrier for hockey equipment in the form of a generally box-shaped container body which is molded in a high-impact plastic material, including a pair of wheels at its bottom rear edge. Clamps are provided on the back face of the container for frictionally retaining a pair of hockey sticks that can be used to manipulate the carrier on its wheels. The container has doors at the front, a lower one of which can be folded down to form a platform on which a hockey player can stand while changing. An upper door opens laterally. The two doors provide access to a number of wire baskets within the container body, for accommodating hockey equipment. Modularlity is limited, however, as this design is intended for a specific purpose.
A wheeled upright luggage case having oversized wheels for improved rolling movement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,641. The luggage case has a pair of wheels that are oversize in proportion to the body of the case. The oversize wheels are rotatably mounted in fender assemblies disposed on the outsides of the body of the case, so that the oversize wheels do not detract from the cargo capacity of the case. The wheels are mounted to protrude a specified relational distance from the bottom, or the back and the bottom, of the case to permit the case to be rolled while tilted at a wide variety of angles and to easily be pulled up stairs or curbs. Although the lid provides some degree of article retainment, there are no drawers or selectively securable compartmentalized features associated with the lid.
A travel organizer system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,102, including an intermediate portion with a flexible carrying strap mounted thereon. A pair of side portions are hingably coupled to the intermediate portion each with a plurality of compartments formed therein for carrying various travel related items therein. However, no shelves, drawers or snap-in modules are provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,514 is directed to portable file case holder including a case housing having a rear wall, side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall for forming an interior compartment; the rear wall having an exterior wall surface and an interior wall surface; each of the side walls having an exterior wall surface and an interior wall surface; and each of the side interior wall surfaces include a plurality of paired, spaced-apart mounting receiving slots; and wherein each of the mounting receiving slots having U-shaped channels thereto for receiving the side edge of a shelving member. One or more of the shelving members for forming one or more compartments within the interior compartment of the case housing for receiving documents in the form of file folders, books, notebooks, 3-ring binders, manuscripts, transcripts, and/or computer print-outs. The case housing includes a detachable file case door having an exterior wall surface, an interior wall surface and a perimeter edging with a plurality of locking means thereon for covering the interior compartment. Notably, no drawers are provided in the back portion, and the lid carrier is specifically directed to carrying a detachable lectern component.
A wheeled upright luggage case is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,514. The case has wheels to allow the case to stand upright in a stable and balanced position without attendance by the user. The case has a wheel handle to allow the user to push or pull the case across a supporting surface. The case may be pushed or pulled on either four wheels or two wheels. When four wheels are used, the full weight of the case and its contents are borne by the wheels, relieving the user from having to bear any of the weight of the luggage. The body of the case is designed to have a specific range of tilt angles from the vertical; by tilting the body of the case toward the user, the design of the case improves the stability of the case while it is pushed across a supporting surface on four wheels. Various case body configurations and push handle arrangements are disclosed; however, no drawers or lid-related modules are taught.
In terms of relevant design patents, U.S. Pat. No. D152,653 shows a rear portion with adjustable shelves and a front portion with modular compartments. However, there are no drawers associated with the shelves, and the modular compartments may not be removably secured to enhance versatility.
Thus, despite these and other configurable trunk and case configurations, the need nevertheless remains for enhanced versatility, particularly in view of modern travel requirements.